---
id: CVE-2025-38293
title: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: ath11k: fix node corruption in ar->arvifs list

  In current WLAN recovery code flow, ath11k_core_halt() only
  reinitializes the "arvifs" list head
summary: |-
  In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

  wifi: ath11k: fix node corruption in ar->arvifs list

  In current WLAN recovery code flow, ath11k_core_halt() only
  reinitializes the "arvifs" list head. This will cause …
severity: high
cvss: 8.8
cvssVector: 'CVSS:3.1/AV:A/AC:L/PR:N/UI:N/S:U/C:H/I:H/A:H'
vendor: linux
product: linux_kernel
affected:
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.6, < 5.10.239'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.186'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.142'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.94'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.34'
  - 'linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.15.3'
  - debian_linux = 11.0
patched:
  - linux_kernel 6.15.3
published: '2025-07-10'
updated: '2026-10-15'
sourceUpdated: '2026-10-15T22:18:38.193'
source: NVD
sourceUrl: 'https://nvd.nist.gov/vuln/detail/CVE-2025-38293'
references:
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/31e98e277ae47f56632e4d663b1d4fd12ba33ea8'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6c139015b597e570dd5962934e9f9a2f4cc8ef48'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/6d6cb27fe146061f2512e904618f5e005bb7bb6a'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/b0974ed82e6ad5ff246fd90a5b14f3e7be4f2924'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f50ba7e7b607f2d00618799312e7fdb76a1ff48e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f5d77d0d41ea7a204d47288d0cf0404a52b5890e'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://git.kernel.org/stable/c/f9507cf2dd0e1ed5028c0e8240da6fe5fd3110d3'
    label: 416baaa9-dc9f-4396-8d5f-8c081fb06d67
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00007.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
  - url: 'https://lists.debian.org/debian-lts-announce/2025/10/msg00008.html'
    label: af854a3a-2127-422b-91ae-364da2661108
tags:
  - nvd
  - cve.org
epss: 0.00339
epssPercentile: 0.27156
ssvc:
  exploitation: none
  automatable: 'no'
  technicalImpact: total
  timestamp: '2026-10-15T21:49:26.154444Z'
ingestedAt: '2026-10-15T22:48:25.502Z'
---

## Overview

In the Linux kernel, the following vulnerability has been resolved:

wifi: ath11k: fix node corruption in ar->arvifs list

In current WLAN recovery code flow, ath11k_core_halt() only
reinitializes the "arvifs" list head. This will cause the
list node immediately following the list head to become an
invalid list node. Because the prev of that node still points
to the list head "arvifs", but the next of the list head "arvifs"
no longer points to that list node.

When a WLAN recovery occurs during the execution of a vif
removal, and it happens before the spin_lock_bh(&ar->data_lock)
in ath11k_mac_op_remove_interface(), list_del() will detect the
previously mentioned situation, thereby triggering a kernel panic.

The fix is to remove and reinitialize all vif list nodes from the
list head "arvifs" during WLAN halt. The reinitialization is to make
the list nodes valid, ensuring that the list_del() in
ath11k_mac_op_remove_interface() can execute normally.

Call trace:
__list_del_entry_valid_or_report+0xb8/0xd0
ath11k_mac_op_remove_interface+0xb0/0x27c [ath11k]
drv_remove_interface+0x48/0x194 [mac80211]
ieee80211_do_stop+0x6e0/0x844 [mac80211]
ieee80211_stop+0x44/0x17c [mac80211]
__dev_close_many+0xac/0x150
__dev_change_flags+0x194/0x234
dev_change_flags+0x24/0x6c
devinet_ioctl+0x3a0/0x670
inet_ioctl+0x200/0x248
sock_do_ioctl+0x60/0x118
sock_ioctl+0x274/0x35c
__arm64_sys_ioctl+0xac/0xf0
invoke_syscall+0x48/0x114
...

Tested-on: QCA6698AQ hw2.1 PCI WLAN.HSP.1.1-04591-QCAHSPSWPL_V1_V2_SILICONZ_IOE-1

## Affected

- `linux_kernel >= 5.6, < 5.10.239`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.11, < 5.15.186`
- `linux_kernel >= 5.16, < 6.1.142`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.2, < 6.6.94`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.7, < 6.12.34`
- `linux_kernel >= 6.13, < 6.15.3`
- `debian_linux = 11.0`

## Remediation

Upgrade past the affected range:

- `linux_kernel 6.15.3`